Mormonism

Great Online Genealogy Resource by Piper Cox

When you are searching for your ancestors, you want a place you can turn to for help. It is important to have a resource you trust and one that you know you can find a lot of information from. Well there is a resource that is all that and more. It is an online source and a physical location as well. So you can do research in the method you prefer!

The resource I am talking about is Family Search which is operated by the Mormon church. This website is an extension of their family history library which is one of the most complete genealogical libraries you will find. In fact, people travel from all over the world to do research in the library that is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. But you don’t need to travel long distances to do your research if you don’t want to, you can access most of their records online on the Family Search website.

On the website you are able to access documents such as census records, the International Genealogical Index files, and Social Security death records. In addition to these records you can view genealogy that has been submitted by other users.

Not only can you look up records that are stored in the Family Search databases, you can take free online classes as well. There is a wide variety of classes offered on the website on topics ranging from basic genealogy research to learning how to read old, handwritten documents. The lessons are in video format with downloadable class handouts. This is a great resource for people who are beginning genealogists and those who have more experience but are stuck with a certain type of research.

If you want to visit the actual Family History library, be prepared to be amazed! The library consists of 142,000 square feet of space spread over 5 floors. The library is the largest genealogical library in the world and is free to the public. They have all the resources you will need to search including computers, microfilm readers, microfiche readers, and so much more! Probably the best resource you can find at the library is the staff. There are 100 full and part time professional genealogists that work at the library. In addition, there are 700 volunteers who are genealogy enthusiasts who are more than willing to help you with your search.

Whether you choose to do your genealogy research online or at the library itself, the genealogy resources provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can’t be beat. You don’t have to be a member of the church to use the resources, they are available to everyone. Give Family Search.org a try, you might find someone you know!

About the Author

Piper enjoys spending time with her family and researching her ancestry. She spends a lot of her time using her film slide scanner to make quality copies of her grandparents photos. She enjoys nature, reading and spending time with her family. She also teaches people how to go about using a 35mm slide converter in her spare time.